RI territory 4.9 million sq. km.

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has complete sovereignty over a total area of 4.9 million square kilometers and "economic rights" over an additional three million square kilometers, Indonesia's top marine law expert says.

Mochtar Kusuma-Atmadja said during a hearing with Commission I of the House of Representatives yesterday that Indonesia's territorial sovereignty covers 1.9 million square kilometers of land and three million square kilometers of seas.

Mochtar was clarifying earlier reports suggesting that Indonesia's territory has grown by another three million square kilometers when the 1982 UN Convention of the Sea of Law came into force last Nov. 16, the Antara news agency reported.

Under the convention, Indonesia's claim as an archipelagic state was given an international recognition, which means its sovereignty covers the waters that span between the 17,000 islands in the archipelago.

The convention also recognizes Indonesia's new, exclusive economic zone of an additional three million square kilometers, over which Indonesia has economic jurisdiction but not full sovereignty.

In these areas Indonesia can apply its economic laws and impose sanctions on foreign fishermen who operate in the area without a permit, for example. But Indonesia cannot prevent international shippers or aviators from using the area for their passage, he added.

Recognition

Indonesia hailed recognition of the UN convention, in particular because it finally recognizes its status as an archipelagic state. In addition to Indonesia, the convention also benefits other archipelagic nations like the Philippines and Fiji. Indonesia has been fighting hard for the recognition and Mochtar, a former foreign minister and a lawyer by training, was pivotal in the endeavor.

Mochtar yesterday sought to play down the significance of the development, stressing that even without the convention, Indonesia's claim had already been recognized by nearly 16 countries through various bilateral agreements.

"It's not true to say that the archipelagic state concept was only recognized by the UN and the world after Nov. 16, 1994. Long before that, several countries had actually recognized it."

The only difference is that now, countries that have not ratified the convention are also subject to the terms of the law, he said. (emb)